Moroccan locust swarms sweep eastern Iran, threatening crops and farms

A swarm of Moroccan locusts is causing havoc in eastern Iran's agricultural sector, according to Iranian media reports and footage showing large numbers of the insects descending on affected areas.Speaking to the semi-official Mehr News Agency, medical officials assured the public that the insects pose no direct health risk. However, Tasnim News Agency reported that the invasion is threatening the "livelihoods of thousands of households."The Moroccan locust, also known as Dociostaurus maroccanus, is capable of rapid reproduction. Females can lay between two and four egg pods during their lifetime, with each pod containing an average of 30 eggs.هجوم #ملخ ‌ها به #مشهد افزایش چشمگیر تراکم ملخ‌های مراکشی در شرق ایران، به عنوان تهدیدی ‌جدی و در حال گسترش، اگر به‌موقع مهار نشود، دسترنج کشاورزان را نابود و خسارات سنگینی به تولیدات زراعی و مرتعی وارد خواهد کرد. pic.twitter.com/TeMWSQETNr— Azadeh Mokhtari (@AzadeMokhtari) June 1, 2026Primarily feeding on grain crops, date palms, citrus fruits, fruit trees, olives, and figs, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has described the species as "one of the most serious pests of many cultivated plants."In addition to damaging food crops, the insect can consume large quantities of rangeland vegetation, potentially creating feed shortages for livestock.Farmers urged to refrain from harvestingAuthorities have reportedly sprayed large areas with pesticides and urged farmers to refrain from harvesting crops to reduce the risk of chemical contamination.The sudden proliferation of Moroccan locusts has been attributed to changing weather patterns and drought conditions.Iran has now entered its sixth consecutive year of water shortages following years of poor water management. After abandoning the country's ancient qanat aquifer system, authorities constructed dams in an effort to boost agricultural output.

That short-term approach contributed to rivers drying up, a phenomenon that has only worsened with global warming.Numerous international media outlets have linked the drought to the unrest that erupted in January, when regime authorities violently suppressed protests sparked by the country's deteriorating economic conditions.